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Skald
Skalds are poets, historians, and keepers of lore who use their gifts for oration and song to inspire allies into a frenzied rage. They balance a violent spirit with the veneer of civilization, recording events such as heroic battles and the deeds of great leaders, enhancing these stories in the retelling to earn bloodier victories in combat. A skald’s poetry is nuanced and often has multiple overlapping meanings, and he applies similar talents to emulate magic from other spellcasters. The Skald is a mix between Bard and Berserker. Role: '''Offensive Combat, Spellcasting '''Alignment: '''Non-Lawful '''Hit Die: '''d8 '''Starting Wealth: '''3d6 x 10g '''Favored Class Bonus: '''Str +3, Cha +2 Stats Spells The Skald is an Arcane Spellcaster. The Skald uses their Cha modifier for spellcasting. Skalds draw their spells from the Bard spell list, found here. All Skald spells have Vocal Components (Singing, Performance, Music). The number of spells a Skald can cast each day are equal to the number on the chart (above) + the bonus spells per day listed here. The Skald can cast an unlimited amount of Tier 0 Spells. Relearning Spells At 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter, a skald can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the skald loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least 1 level lower than the highest-level skald spell the skald can cast. A skald may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level. Abilities Class Proficiency The Skald is proficient in Simple and Light/Heavy Martial weapons, and with Light and Medium Armor. They are proficient with shields (but not tower shields). A skald can cast skald spells while wearing light or medium armor and even using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. This does not affect the arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes. Like other arcane spellcasters, a skald wearing heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has somatic components. Raging Performances A Skald is trained to use music, oration, and similar performances to inspire his allies to feats of strength and ferocity. At 1st level, a Skald can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. For each level thereafter, he can use Raging Performance for 2 additional rounds per day. Starting a Raging Performance is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. A Raging Performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the Skald is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action each round to maintain it. A Raging Performance counts as the Bard’s Bardic Performance special ability for any effect that affects bardic performances. A Raging Performance has audible components, but not visual components. Affected allies must be able to hear the Skald for the song to have any effect. A deaf Skald has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use a Raging Performance. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Deaf creatures are immune to Raging Performances. If a Raging Performance affects allies, when the Skald begins a Raging Performance and at the start of each ally’s turn in which they can hear the Raging Performance, the Skald’s allies must decide whether to accept or refuse its effects. This is not an action. Unconscious allies automatically accept the song. If accepted, the Raging Performance's effects last for that ally’s turn or until the song ends, whichever comes first. At 7th level, a Skald can start a Raging Performance as a move action instead of a standard action. At 13th level, a Skald can start a Raging Performance as a swift action instead. The Skald gains Raging Song as their first Raging Performance at 1st level. They gain a new one at 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter. '''Raging Song (Su): At 1st level, affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of Raging Song, allies other than the Skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the song’s bonuses on Will saves increase by 1; the penalty to AC doesn’t change. At 8th and 16th levels, the song’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution increase by 2. (Unlike the Berserker's rage ability, those affected are not fatigued after the song ends.) If an ally has her own rage class ability (such as Berserker's Rage, Bloodrager’s Bloodrage, or Skald’s Raging Song), she may use the Strength, Constitution, and Will saving throw bonuses, as well as AC penalties, based on her own ability and level instead of those from the Skald (still suffering no fatigue afterward). However, Raging Song does not allow the ally to activate abilities dependent on other rage class abilities, such as Rage Powers, blood casting, or Bloodrager Bloodlines; the ally must activate her own rage class ability in order to use these features. Countersong (Su): A Skald learns to counter magic effects that depend on sound (but not spells that have verbal components.) Each round of the countersong he makes a Performance (keyboard, percussion, wind, string, or sing) skill check. Any creature within 30 feet of the Skald (including the Skald himself) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use the Skald's Performance check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Performance check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a non-instantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use the Skald's Performance skill check result for the save. Countersong does not work on effects that don’t allow saves. Countersong relies on audible components. Courageous Song (Su): '''A Skald can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to see the Skald's performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six Bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Courageous Song is a mind-affecting ability. '''Dirge of Doom (Su): A Skald can create a sense of growing dread in his enemies, causing them to become shaken. This only affects enemies that are within 30 feet and able to hear the Skald’s performance. The effect persists for as long as the enemy is within 30 feet and the Skald continues his performance. This cannot cause a creature to become frightened or panicked, even if the targets are already shaken from another effect. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect, and relies on audible components. Marching Horde (Ex): A skald can use raging song to inspire his allies to move faster without suffering from fatigue. By expending 1 round of Raging Performance, the Skald invigorates allies within 60 feet, who may hustle for the next hour; this movement counts as a walk (not a hustle) for the purpose of accruing nonlethal damage and fatigue. The Skald must continue to perform the song for the remainder of the hour, otherwise its effects end, but only 1 round of raging song is expended for that hour. Song of the Fallen (Su): A Skald can temporarily revive dead allies to continue fighting, with the same limitations as Raise Dead. The Skald selects a dead ally within 60 feet and expends 1 round of Raging Performance to bring that ally back to life. The revived ally is alive but staggered. Each round, the Skald may expend another 1 round of Raging Performance to keep that ally alive for another round. The ally automatically dies if the Skald ends this performance or is interrupted. The Skald may revive multiple allies with this ability (either at the same time or over successive rounds) but must expend 1 round of Raging Performance per revived ally per round to maintain the effect. Strengthening Call (Su): A skald can use raging song to inspire his allies to superhuman feats of strength. Once each round while the Skald uses this performance, allies within 60 feet who can hear the Skald may add 1/2 the Skald’s level to a Strength check or Strength-based skill check. Rage Powers (Su) At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, a Skald learns a Rage Power that affects the Skald and any allies under the influence of his RagingSong. This cannot be a rage power that requires the creature to spend a standard action or rounds of rage to activate it. For example, the Skald cannot choose terrifying howl (which requires a standard action to activate), but can choose knockback (which is made in place of a melee attack). Unless otherwise noted, a Skald cannot select an individual rage power more than once. When starting an inspired rage, the skald chooses which rage powers (if any) to add to the song, and all affected allies gain the benefit of these rage powers, using the skald’s level as their effective Berserker level. The skald uses his skald level as his Berserker level for the purpose of selecting rage powers that require a minimum Berserker level. If the rage power’s effects depend on the skald’s ability modifier, affected allies use the skald’s ability modifier instead of their own for the purposes of this effect. If a rage power requires another rage power (such as disruptive, which requires superstition), the skald cannot grant that rage power to allies unless he can also grant that power’s prerequisite. He may add multiple rage powers to an inspired rage at the same time using this ability (such as granting superstition and disruptive simultaneously). If a rage power can only be used a certain number of times per day or per rage (such as renewed vigor), each ally affected by the inspired rage song is subject to that limit (with once per rage abilities limited to once per inspired rage). If the skald has rage powers from another source, he (but not his allies) can use those rage powers during an inspired rage. He cannot select a duplicate rage power, unless that rage power can be taken multiple times. If the skald has the ability to rage from another source, he can use his skald rage powers during that rage as well. Always Ready (Ex) At 3rd Level, a Skald can no longer be caught Flat-Footed, nor do they lose their Dex bonus to AC due to their opponent being invisible. The Skald can still lose their Dex bonus due to being immobilized, however. Martial Master (Ex) At 5th Level, choose a single weapon you are proficient in. Gain a +3 bonus to Attack with that weapon. At 15th Level, this bonus increases to +6. Spell Keening (Ex) At 5th level, a skald is learned in the magic of other spellcasters, and can use his own magic to duplicate those classes’ spells. Once per day, a skald can cast any spell on the bard, cleric, or mage/wizard spell list as if it were one of his skald spells known, expending a skald spell slot of the same spell level to cast the desired spell. Casting a spell with spell kenning always has a minimum casting time of 1 full round, regardless of the casting time of the spell. At 11th level, a skald can use this ability twice per day. At 17th level, he can use this ability three times per day. Counter-Flank (Ex) At 7th Level, the Skald cannot be flanked. This denies any bonuses, special attacks, or effects that are given from flanking an opponent to the enemies, unless that enemy's class level is 4 or more levels higher than your Skald level. Well-Versed (Ex) At 9th Level, the Skald gains +4 to Saving Throws against Performances and Sound effects. Deep Skin (Ex) At 15th Level, the Skald has 15% chance to negate critical hits against it. Mastery - Mighty Skald (Ex) At 20th Level, the Skald can perform any Performance in combination with Raging Song (using 2 rounds of performance each round). A skald’s Raging Song no longer gives allies a penalty to AC, nor limits what skills or abilities they can use. Allies with rage class abilities may use features dependent on those abilities without restriction while under the effects of Raging Song, such as a Berserker's rage powers and a Bloodrager's blood casting and bloodline abilities. Finally, when making a full attack, affected allies may make an additional attack each round (as if using a Haste effect). Archetypes Category:Classes Category:Needs to be Edited